Pleasantville teens sickened after smoking 'artificial substance'
PLEASANTVILLE – Several teenagers were sickened Thursday after smoking an artificial substance they found in a downtown parking lot, officials said.
The teens, who were not named because of their age, were identified by Pleasantville Superintendent of Schools Mary Fox-Alter as students at the high school.
"Late this afternoon, a group of high school students, who were in a downtown parking lot, found an artificial substance and smoked it," Fox-Alter said in an email distributed to district parents Thursday. "The students became seriously ill."
Fox-Alter did not identify the substance by name, but urged parents to speak to their children about the dangers of artificial marijuana and other substances.
The superintendent said the students were taken to an area hospital by ambulance and were recovering.
Pleasantville police said an investigation into the incident was ongoing and declined to comment.